BS"D
NOTABLE 'NUNNS': PARSHAT BEHA'ALOTCHA
Shira Smiles class -2023/5783
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz stein
Parshat Beha'alotch has a
unique feature not found anywhere else in the Torah. Offset by two inverted נ/nunn letters are two verses that seem put of place here,
so much so that many commentaries suggest this passage actually forms a sixth
book of the Torah. The letters themselves serve as parenthesis that seem to
indicate as much. Why does the Torah include this passage in this place, and
what is the significance of the inverted letters?
In Outlook and Insight,
Rabbi Leff cites the Gemarra and suggests that indeed this passage is
meant as a separation, as a break between three negative episodes in which Bnei
Yisroel sinned. The first was in their rush to leave Har Sinai, happy to not be
receiving any more mitzvoth and parting from Hashem's presence. The second was
in complaining at the speed of their travel. Third, to be recorded after these
verses, was their complaint about the special manna that was their diet.
To break the pattern, the Torah inserts these verse here.
Rabbi Soloveitchick offers a
completely different perspective. Rabbi Soloveitchick believes these verses
actually to be in their proper place. Bnei Yisroel were meant to enter Eretz
Yisroel immediately after receiving the Torah. This was to be that all
important day. They were set to march forward, and the aron kodesh would
rise and lead them. But the plan was derailed and turned upside down, and the nunns
were inverted to indicate the inversion of the plan.
Bnei Yisroel themselves seem
to have muddled their priorities, writes Rabbi Leff. They ran away from
Hashem's presence at Sinai and from Torah, but they didn’t rush to enter Eretz
Yisroel. נאמנות
/faithfulness should be consistent. Bnei Yisroel, in running away from Hashem
but not running to Eretz Yisroel were being inconsistent in their faith, hence
the letter symbolizing faithfulness is inverted.
Rabbi Leff cites an earlier
example of a similar inconsistency. When Yosef wanted to imprison Binyamin, the
brothers pleaded, "If we return without our youngest brother, our father
will die." Yosef, unable to constrain himself further, blurted out,
"I am Yosef; is my father still alive?" Why were you not concerned
about my father when you sold me to the Midianites? Our troubles arise from the
rationalization of our inconsistencies. Our inconsistent faith leads us to make
improper choices, whether about the spies long ago, or about our priorities
today.
In Halekach Vehalebuv
Rabbi Schorr cites a medrash in which Shimon ben Pazi opines that the verse
that most encapsulates Torah is, "One sheep you will bring in the morning
and one sheep every afternoon." This is the Tamid offering, tamid,
consistent. Our service to Hakodosh Boruch Hu must be consistent and maintain
its integrity throughout.
Toras Chesed cites the Kli Yakar who often comments on the
homiletic meaning in the use of particular words. He notes that what we name
Hebrew letters are words with meaning themselves. The letter nunn is an
Aramaic word meaning fish. Bnei Yisroel were going to complain about the manna,
waxing nostalgic about the fish they ate freely in Egypt, and inverting it from
the food of their enslavement.
But fish are afraid of
fishermen. When a sly fox suggests they flee from the fishermen by coming
ashore, the fish reply that they are still safer in their natural habitat, breathing
through the water, than on the dry land where it is impossible for them to stay
alive at all. Similarly, Bnei Yisroel can remain alive only within their
natural habitat, the Torah. Bnei Yisroel should have realized this and not have
run away from Sinai.
Who were these complainers
about the manna? Our commentators pick up on the unusual form of the word. They
were not complainers, but rather "like complainers." As Rabbi David
Cohen notes, citing the Meshech Chochmah, they were rabblerousers
looking for an excuse to complain. They were dissatisfied with the manna
because it was the lofty bread of angels. It was ethereal, and did not produce
the physical reactions to real, earthly food. The complaint about the manna was
actually a complaint about Torah law in general. They were upset over the
limitations the Torah put on their desires, not only about food, but also about
whom they could marry, for example. This is the turning point of Sefer
Bamidbar. Until now, Bnei Yisroel were surviving on a spiritual level in the
desert. When they would enter Eretz Yisroel, they would live on the natural
plane, providing their own food, for example. This paragraph is the coda
separating the two dimensions.
We ran from Sinai, continues
Rabbi Cohen in Meirosh Tzurim, because we wanted to retain our powerful
physicality, keeping our animal nature superior to the godlike spirit within
us. Through Torah discipline, we would control our animalistic behavior and
become godlike.
Hashem created everything in
balance, immorality versus the desire for Torah. And everything can be used for
either of these purposes. Our speech, for example, that capacity that raises us
above the animals and comes from deep within us, can be used positively or
negatively. Music that comes from the very core of our being can elevate us so
that our souls transcend our physical presence. Conversely, music can draw us
down into an abyss of physical depravity. Hashem enables us to derive
pleasure through both. Will we channel our desire toward Torah and chesed, or
to physicality. There is no common ground. One or the other will fill the
vacuum.
When Bnei Yisroel were running
away from Torah and Sinai, they were creating a vacuum. They needed to fill the
desire without using the spirituality they were now rejecting. We need to fill
our desire with spirituality. Fish themselves, nunn translated, could be
positive or negative. On the one hand, their rapid reproduction could represent
unbridled sexuality or it could represent the desire for children. But when
Yaakov was blessing his grandsons, "May you proliferate abundantly like
fish within the land," Yaakov was also referring to a different
characteristic of fish. Although fish are completely surrounded by water, when
Hashem sends rain from heaven, fish rise to the surface to hungrily drink the
water from above. So should we, Bnei Yisroel, constantly desire the
"living water" of Torah from above.
Referencing several psukim/verses,
the Zohar, tells us that two nunns represent the glory of God. As
Rabbi Moshe Shapiro explains in Mima'amakim, the two nunns represent
the sun and the moon. As the two nunns face each other, the moon
reflecting the light of the sun, so do we turn to Hakodosh Boruch Hu to reflect
His light. The two nunns face each other as did the cherubim on the aron
kodesh who face each other through the power of the luchot, the
Torah within.
Nunn further represents Hashem's presence over Bnei
Yisroel as the Torah was given to us on the fiftieth day after redemption. The nunn
has the numerical value of fifty. We are capable of achieving 49 levels of the
Torah. Even Moshe Rabbenu could achieve only 49 levels during his lifetime.
Therefore Moshe is buried on נבוא /בוא 50 Mount, for
it was only after his death that he was able to reach that 50th level of Torah.
When Yaakov Avinu saw the
power of nunn, he blessed the grandchildren that their relationship with
Hakodosh Boruch Hu should continue to grow and proliferate. And, since no ayin
horo/evil eye can penetrate the water, we should be like fish that no evil
eye should affect us.
When Bnei Yisroel turned away
from Sinai, Hashem also turned away, reversing the nunns, but not
leaving us completely.
If the nunn represents
Hashem's presence, why did King David omit a verse for nunn from the
alphabetically arranged verses of Psalm 145, Ashrei? While many commentators
suggest that the letter stands for נופל /fall, why single out this letter for omission? All letters
have both positive and negative connotations. Rabbi Shapiro notes that nunn
also represents connection. Rabbi Shapiro suggests that King David foresaw that
the relationship between Bnei Yisroel and Hakodosh Boruch Hu would be broken,
would falter.
When the two nunns are
together, they support each other, forming the letter samech/support.
However, when Hashem removes His support from above, the bottom half,
representing Bnei Yisroel falls, and from that fall Bnei Yisroel will not get
up. Therefore King David connected the would be verse for nunn to the
verse for samech, as the verse says, "Somech Hashem lechol
hanoflim/Hashem supports all those who fall," indicating that Hashem
will never leave us.
During the Priestly Blessing,
part of the daily liturgy in Eretz Yisroel, the Kohanim form the fingers of
their hands into the letter nunn, bringing God's presence down to bless
Bnei Yisroel. We can also bring down God's presence by reciting 100 brachot/blessings
daily, 100 being the sum of the two nunns, each numerically equivalent
to 50.
The Shvilei Pinchas
adds another layer of meaning to the letters of nunn and samech.
The Shvilei Pinchas observes that when we put the two letters together,
we get נס /miracle. When we rely on the One above for support during our
challenges, we will not fall. If we take One away, we will miss the support and
never reach the level of miracle. We should never despair in life.
In the future, all the
tzadikim/righteous will form a circle around Hakodosh Boruch Hu. A circle is
the shape of a samech. If you look back, in retrospect you will see that
all was for the good, and you will feel the full support of Hashem. Do not stop
at one nunn, at the despair of falling. Complete the circle with the
second nunn.
So this passage, separated by
the two nunns, first alludes to what could have been, what should have
been, Bnei Yisroel entering Eretz Yisroel, but wasn't. Nevertheless, we are
encouraged never to give up hope. Although we live in a natural world, the
supernatural nature of Hashem, although hidden, is nevertheless present. We
live in a world of two nunns, a world where Hashem somech noflim/
supports those who are falling. That message, although seemingly separated from
the rest of the text, is a deep message embedded in all of the Torah.